NZ Marriage Regulations & Licensing

What You Need to do Before You Can Get Married

For some advice to to help you in your preparations to marry in New Zealand, please read the below regulations:

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Decide when and where you want to get married

You will need to know when and where you want to get married when you complete your application for a marriage licence. You should also choose an alternative venue in the event that the weather prevents you from marrying at your primary venue.
 

Choose a Marriage Celebrant

In New Zealand you must be married by an appointed marriage celebrant. This may be a Registrar of Marriages, an independent marriage celebrant, a minister of a church or a person connected with an approved organisation. View Taupo marriage celebrant options here.

You will need to contact your marriage celebrant and agree on a time and place before applying for your marriage licence.
 

Get a Marriage Licence

To get a license you will need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage application form (BDM 60 or BDM 58). If either of you have been married or in a civil union before, and the marriage or civil union has been dissolved, you may be asked to produce evidence of the dissolution (e.g. Divorce/Dissolution Order) when you give notice to the Registrar. If your previous spouse or partner has died you do not have to produce evidence of their death, but you will have to give the date of death on the Notice of Intended Marriage.

​The application process takes approximately 3 working days, so ensure you allow yourself plenty of time prior to the wedding to apply for your license.      However, keep in mind that The Particulars of Marriage (which is the document you sign on your wedding day) is only valid for three months, before being signed.   This means you should not get this process underway any earlier than three months prior to your wedding day.

 

Make a Statutory Declaration

As part of completing the application form for a marriage licence, you need to make a statutory declaration. Either you or your partner will need to make a formal statutory declaration that there is no lawful impediment to the marriage (i.e. no legal reason that you both cannot be married), that the details given are true, that the bride and groom are not within the "prohibited degrees of relationship" and that consent has been given (where relevant).

If you live in New Zealand one of you must make this declaration in the presence of a Registrar of Marriages.